Allison to Lillia - Episode 8

While I know it's been open season on Allison to Lillia on this 'Blog almost from the very start, I do genuinely approach each new episode with a feeling of hope for something more nourishing than that which has come before. However, the harder I try to gain a new appreciation for the show each time, it seems the more laughable the entire venture becomes.

If I were to describe episode eight of Allison to Lillia in a single phrase, it would probably be "What the Hell?! That makes no sense at all!". Yes, it is that nonsensical. I'd almost wager that in a couple of decades time, you'll be able to look up the phrase 'deus ex machina' in the dictionary, and find as its description 'Allison to Lillia, episode eight'.

After gatecrashing Nihito's speech at the end of the last episode, Fiona announces to the waiting crowd that she is, in fact, Princess Francesca. Even though she isn't. However, she carries with her a pendant which proves her sovereignty, and in addition just happens to have a cuff link with the Nihito family crest on it, to prove that it was in fact him who killed the royal family a decade ago in order to take power.

Naturally, Nihito is none too pleased with this, and so the most ridiculous segment of any anime series I've ever seen begins. Nihito grabs Fiona and takes her hostage, and armed guards surrounding them they choose to simply stand around like stunned guinea pigs. Security officer Warren takes the initiative and makes a grab for Fiona (because, of course, those armed guards couldn't, y'know... shoot him or something), but in a trick that even the mighty Paul Daniels would be impressed with, Nihito produces a knife from nowhere and stabs Warren, leaving the knife embedded deep in his leg before making a run for it while the armed guards... Decide to play Twister rather than giving chase. Or something. I don't know.

With the upper hand now his, Nihito decides to make his escape by... Running for the roof, where he can't possibly escape. And they say politicans are stupid. Of course, Ker soon catches up with him, but what's this? Nihito has another identical knife that he produces out of nowhere. No, I'm not making this up, this stuff actually happens. Nihito tries to stab Ker, but somehow succeeds in only managing to damage his watch. Ker punches Nihito, and before he can magic up yet another knife from his invisible arsenal, Allison flies around the building and manages to blow him off the roof with the massive gale inexplicably caused by the plane, where he falls to his death. Thankfully, Ker and Fiona were both wearing some kind of anti-gale force field device, so that they were completely unaffected by the huge forces of air produced by the air craft. Again, I can only apologise that I'm not making this up. Well, apart from the force field thing.

With Nihito dead and Fiona recognised as Princess Francesca, we find out who she really is and why she's pretending to be a princess. I can't even be bothered to 'spoil' this part of the story for you, but let's just say that it's absolutely and completely moronic, with more holes than a bullet-ridden colander. The day is saved, everyone lives happily ever after, and Allison still hasn't confessed her feelings to Wil, even though she's now made it so obvious it appears that even tearing her clothes off and jumping on him won't help him figure out what's going on.

I have to give Allison to Lillia some credit for making me laugh as long and hard as I frequently did during this episode - If only my laughter hadn't come from some supposedly serious moments. It also wins some sort of award for making me say "What? What?!" frequently throughout its entire running time, such was level of incomprehensible nonsense on show in an attempt to cover up the holes in that sieve-like plot. Try as I might to justify its existence on any level beyond being hilariously awful, I simply can't - This show is an embarrassment to anime.